Forbidden Love
by Ashe Corinthos
Summary: Kuja: A warrior without his memories, a pawn for Chaos. Yuna: A strong-hearted summoner who wishes for the war to end. When the two meet, their stories clash.
1. My Name Is Yuna

**Kuja and Yuna, a wonderful pairing. I hope everyone likes this as much as I did writing it! (I'm sorry if some of the characters are OOC, I'm not perfect. )**

Kuja.

* * *

Kuja stands quietly, leaning against the castle entrance on the stage of the M.S. Prima Vista. He sighs quietly, feeling slightly annoyed by the clown's constant jabbering.

" I HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE THAT GIRL! How did she break my spell?! I bet her little buddy Onion Ring is behind this! It makes me so MAD. I HATE friendship. It's so irksome. " Kefka says angrily, half pacing, half frolicking.

" Kefka, whining about it is not going to help the situation." Kuja says tiredly, rubbing his eyes. " She escaped, so you need to get control of her again. It's not complex."

" Says _you._ You haven't even captured Zidane yet! "

Zidane. The name rings with familiarity in Kuja's mind, but really he doesn't know why. All he knows is that Zidane comes from his home world, that they have a history before all this. But Kuja's memories have yet to return to him, and all that matters is that Zidane is on Cosmos' side, while Kuja is one of Chaos' warriors, meaning they are enemies no matter what their past is. He sighs once more. The battles were truly getting tiresome. Either Cosmos would win, or Chaos, it never really mattered who the victor was. As soon as the war was finished, it would begin anew, a never ending cycle of battle and bloodthirst for eternity.

He's snapped out of his thoughts by Kefka prancing over to him and pinching his arm roughly. " Hey!" Kuja protests. Kefka chortles.

" Quit daydreaming, you poetic nut. " He says with a huge grin plastered over his gaudily made up face.

Kuja seethes. He hates Kefka just as much as he hates Garland. In fact, Kuja hates everyone he meets. No one is worth the time or effort to know. All of them all want one thing and that's all that matters; To win and go home. So he fights blindly, cutting down Cosmos's soldiers until they all perish for the few precious seconds it allows for a reprieve before restarting the cycle.

" Leave me alone. Don't you have better things to do rather than crying about your troubles and bothering me? Such as _recapturing the girl?_ " Kuja says, his annoyance clear in his voice as well as his expression.

Kefka shrugs. " Aaah, it's more fun to pester you. She's not going be free for much longer anyway. "

As if on cue, a shrill scream pierces the air. Kefka grins widely. " That's her, I KNOW it! Let's go beat her to a submissive and bloody pulp!" He says happily.

Kuja knows this is what is expected of him, so he nods and starts to follow Kefka away when suddenly the gate into the castle explodes, pieces of stone and wood pelting his arms as he shields his face from the onslaught of debris. When the smoke from the blast resides, he sees three people laying on the wooden floor of the stage. One of them he recognizes as she sits up, choking on dust, as Terra, the girl from Kefka's homeworld that he constantly wants to manipulate to destroy everything with him. Beside her, coughing but jumping to his feet, is Onion Knight, her ally who always seems to be by her side. And then he sees her.

The one that gets his interest is the one shakily getting to her feet, her golden staff raised to fend off any more attacks. Her long, purple and white dress billows as she goes into a defensive position. She is clearly confident even though she's hurt, her sleeve ripped and slightly bleeding, her aura calm and ready.

But what makes his breath catch in his throat isn't just the majestic way she holds herself. It's her eyes that make him pause and look at her. The eyes, one a sapphire blue, the other emerald green, shine brightly with her liveliness, with the purity in her soul. Suddenly he feels a warmth in his chest. What...?

He's ripped away from his gawking when Cloud of Darkness comes through the broken castle's entry, the black and red marks adorning her body standing out against her pale skin. The yellow tentacles dribble saliva onto the ground as she comes forward, her silver and wild hair framing her face.

Kefka dances around. " Ooh, this is perfect timing! Cloud of Darkness, I must thank you for bringing me this delicious present. Ohoho!"

Terra's head whips around, her blond hair flailing, and her eyes widen. " Kefka!"

Onion Knight stands defensively between Terra and the two villains eyeing her. " I'll protect you," He announces.

Cloud of Darkness smiles with malice. " Do not think I did this just for you, Kefka. I just knew you wanted the girl to yourself. I want the boy. " She spots Kuja standing slightly away and her expression turns stony. " Kuja, why don't you destroy the other one? "

Fight her? The one with the light in her eyes? He shakes his head. He really has no desire to face off with them. He doesn't want to have to be the one to kill her. He doesn't even know why, but it's this gut feeling he has. " No. "

Both Cloud of Darkness and Kefka freeze. Slowly they face him.

" What? Why not?' Kefka demands.

" I think you two can take care of them on your own," Kuja says dismissively, hoping they do not probe him further. He can't explain why he's doing this.

" Are you saying you will not attack one of Cosmos' warriors?" Cloud of Darkness says with a dangerous tone.

" Yes I am. Do you have a problem with that?' He asks her. Out of the corner of his eye, he realizes that the three warriors are looking at him with slight shock.

" You're going against Chaos' wishes if you don't fight them. You realize this, don't you?" She pursues.

"If choosing to sit out a battle that two perfectly capable people can fight by themselves is against his wishes, then yes." He says a bit hesitantly. Doing this could put him on the bad side of Chaos. But... something is preventing him from killing her. " I am... not in the mood." He should just kill her and be done. Why is he resisting like this?

Kefka shrugs. " Fine, fine, fine. If he doesn't want to mess up his black thong their blood, then we'll just do it ourselves and get all the credit! Besides, I just want to destroy everything!" He then jumps around and grins. " Time to play, dearie!" he then shouts, " Trine!"

Around Terra triangles of light close in fast on her. Onion Knight pushes her out of the way, and they both hit the ground, skidding a few feet, barely escaping the spell. He gets up while Terra rubs her head and readies her ice spell and dashes after Kefka, only to be intercepted by Cloud of Darkness. One of her tentacles reaches for him and bites into his shirt, lifting him into the air and sending him crashing into the hard wooden floor. He groans and doesn't get back up.

"No!" Terra cries out, temporarily pausing her barrage of ice as she sees Cloud of Darkness go towards Onion Knight to finish him off.

What happens next is so sudden, so unexpected, that Kuja isn't even sure it happens.

While Terra's guard is down, Kefka creeps up on her. Abruptly he screams, " It's over!" And jumps up, sprouting sharp wings towards Terra. What he doesn't see is the girl with two different colored eyes shove Terra out of the way and block the attack, risking her life to save her.

But the most surprising part is when Kuja runs in front of _her _and wraps his arms around her, shielding her as Kefka's wing stabs into his back sharply, his eyes closing with the pain.

The force of the attack sends them both deep into the stage, out into the Lunar Subterrane behind the strange stage. They both slam hard into the sandy and hard rock ground, him over her. After the kicked up sandy fog clears, he opens his eyes to find them staring down into blue and green ones.

The girl shoves him off and reaches for her staff, turning and defending herself with it, her eyes blazing with a bit of fear, but mostly that purity he saw before.

" We need... to get out of here." He says, his words coming out in slight gasps. The pain in his back is excruciating.

She blinks, as if startled that he hadn't tried to hurt her yet. " Why?" Her voice is light, but confident.

" Because they will come after both of us." He struggles to stand, wobbling on his feet and glancing behind. They'd come after them after they were finished with Terra and Onion Knight.

Her eyes become wide when she sees the blood coloring his shoulder. " You... You're hurt!" She looks at him again, strangely.

He winces with pain. " I'm not important. Come. There's a place we can hide not too far from here." He says.

She pauses, hesitant, but when he still does not prove to be a threat, she nods. Carefully they tread across the slippery floor, as fast as they can, Kuja struggling but doing his best to keep going.

" There," He points weakly to a small hole in a big rock a few feet ahead. He leads her to it and crawls through the small entry, with her following a moment later.

Inside it's wider, a dimly lit and cozy cave. Kuja walks over to the wall to his right and collapses against it, his back throbbing.

The girl takes a few steps inside warily, as if looking for danger. When there is none, she carefully takes a step toward Kuja. " May I... May I dress your wounds?" She asks in a barely audible voice, as if slightly afraid.

She wants to dress his wound? Why? He is the enemy; A warrior of Chaos. But she was offering to help him heal?

" Why would you do that?' He asks, his voice breaking a bit from the pain.

" Because you saved me." She says simply. In the darkness, the small light makes her eyes glow. " You did, and were hurt. "

" But I'm your enemy. You're supposed to want to hurt me," he says, his mind becoming cloudy with blood loss. He's not even sure if what he's saying is making sense.

" I don't want to hurt anyone." She says,

This is such a surreal situation. He points to a corner of the cave. " There's.. bandages..."

She walks over and retrieves the roll of bandages, along with a healing potion. She comes close to him and puts the potion to his lips, making him drink. When the potion is gone she starts taking off his cloak.

" What is your name?" She asks him as she starts wrapping his wound with the thin bandages.

" Kuja..." he says sleepily. She's becoming harder to see. But for some reason, he feels safe and warm. Is he dying? " What... is your name?" If he does die, he at least wants to know what the name is of the girl with the gem-like eyes, who he risked his life to save.

She smiles at him through the darkness and says, " My name is Yuna. " 

* * *

I know it's a bit shorter than it was supposed to be, but I'll try to make the next chapter longer to make up for it. I hope you liked it!


	2. The Path They Walk

Author's Note: I hope everyone enjoys this. Seeing all the views to my story is great motivation.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of Square Enix's characters, I just love to use them!

* * *

Yuna

* * *

The moment she wakes up, Yuna is disoriented. She can't see anything, it's so dark.

She jolts to a sitting position, a bit scared. Why can't she see? Where is she? She rubs her eyes, willing them to adjust to the blackness. Slowly, they do, allowing her to see to a limited extent. She glances around at the outlines of rocky walls, a pile of bandages, and-

Laying against the wall, motionless, is a man. Not just any man; a Warrior of Chaos. Memories of the night before flood her mind, and she remembers where she is and who she's with. _Kuja. _The strange white haired person that had recklessly saved her from Kefka and gotten injured in the process.

She rubs her head where it had been laying uncomfortably against a rock while she slept restlessly, tossing and turning, and winces at the pain in her arm. Last night, after she'd tended to Kuja, she had wrapped her arm in bandage as well. But she had used the only healing potion on him, so her arm is burning with sharp pain. Hopefully it wouldn't take long to heal.

She takes her staff from it's perch against the wall, debating on whether she should try to escape. But when Kuja groans in his sleep, tossing restlessly, she decides not to. She'll help him heal, for a bit longer.

Of course, she shouldn't. It goes greatly against Cosmos and her own judgment to stay here like this, tending to the enemy; in fact, most would take this chance to finish him and have one less villain to fight.

But she doesn't really want to hurt him. She gazes towards his immobile form. He had saved her; why? Surely if he had wanted to, he could have let Kefka kill her. He had even refused to fight her, directly disobeying Chaos. For him to do that, he must have a reason. So she'll ask him, when he awakens. _Why her?_

As if on cue, Kuja turns and slowly sits up, wincing in the darkness. His movements are stiff, but the pain seems to have lessened. When he sees Yuna, his eyes flash in the dark.

" You haven't run away yet?" he asks her, his voice hoarse.

She smiles. " No. I thought I'd stay a bit. At least until you're feeling a bit better."

"That's not a very smart decision." He leans back against the wall, carefully maneuvering himself so he doesn't press the rough rock into his wound.

" Oh? Why not?" She asks.

" Because I'm your enemy, the bad guy. For all you know, I could be planning to kill you at any moment. "

" But I don't think you will. Besides, you saved me; it's the least I can do to help you heal from a wound inflicted because of me. " She stands and stretches a little, making her arm throb a bit from the gesture. " So I'll stay until you're fully healed. "

" Your logic eludes me," Kuja shakes his head. He reaches up and touches his shoulder.

Yuna watches his expression as he prods the sore muscle. " Will you allow me to change your bandages? "

He nods mutely. She walks over and begins unraveling the soiled bandages. " I know that you don't trust me," She says. " But, at least until we're healed, let's call a truce, alright?"

"Hmph." He averts his gaze from her.

"Is that a yes?' She asks him, her hands busy with more bandages. No more than a few hours, she thinks, and he'll be healed completely.

"Fine." he says quietly. " It goes against my nature to agree to that, but under such circumstances, I have no real choice. "

For a few moments, it's silent, with Yuna smiling with satisfaction as she tends to his wound. After a second, she finishes and walks over and sits down in front of him, her short brown hair brushing her face. When she sits, the movement jars her arm, and she grimaces slightly.

To her surprise, Kuja asks her, " How is your arm?" He's looking away from her when he speaks.

" It hurts, but it's not too bad. " Yuna replies, gazing at him. She figures now is the time to ask him about what happened, so she clears her throat lightly and says, after a minute of silence, " Um, Kuja... Why did you save me?"

His eyes meet hers, and she realizes what a brilliant shade of blue they are, almost a steel grey. And she can't help but notice the hidden emotions that show for only a moment, before disappearing and leaving them stony. " I..." He seems to stop. " I didn't think it fair for you to be ganged up on. " He finishes.

Yuna has a feeling there was more to it than that, but she doesn't ask. Instead, she just smiles. " Well, thank you. "

" Don't thank me. We're still enemies; I just didn't want them to have all the fun and take it all away from the villain from your world. What's his name, Jecht?" He says sharply.

Her face falls. " Yes. " Her voice is barely audible. " He and I used to fight together until..." She goes silent. Thinking about what had happened made the deep sorrow resurface for a moment. _Jecht._ The moment she thinks about Jecht, is when she's reminded of _him._ The painful memories of the two make her want to weep.

Kuja must realize he said something that really hurt, because when he sees her pained expression, his own softens. "Yuna-" He begins

She shakes her head, making the thoughts disappear, and her smile returns. " Well, whatever reason you may have had, thank you anyway. " Yuna says cheerily. " Because you _did _save me, even though you and I are supposed enemies. " _Don't think about it._

He stares at her, and starts to open his mouth to speak when a scratching sound is heard from outside the cavern, above their heads. Both Yuna and Kuja look up at the ceiling of the cave, where small pieces of rock fall from it. A high pitched voice is heard, growling.

" Manikins..!" Yuna says, getting to her feet, her staff in her hand. " I'll go out and deal with them."

" Alone?" Kuja asks her, also standing.

She nods. " Yes. You're still healing. Besides, I can handle a few manikins. " She smiles.

" You're hurt as well!" He says indignantly. " It's a bad idea to-"

He doesn't get a chance to finish his sentence, when the roof above them crumbles away and drops over their heads. Yuna covers her head with her staff, deflecting the fallen rock. She removes her arms from her head in time to see a neon colored person jump into the cave, illuminated by the dim light of the sky above. The manikin.

Manikins are mimics, creatures who take on the look and abilities of warriors of both sides without obeying either. This one is a blue Warrior of Light, the eyes without pupils, and it emits a hissing sound when it sees the two people. It readies its sword.

Kuja grabs Yuna's hand, startling her. " Come on! We'll fight outside; it's too small of a space in here!" He yanks her away as the manikin recreates Warrior's Shining Wave, and they both slide through the crack with the attack seconds behind. They manage to get a few feet away when the attack causes the wall behind them to explode, scattering shards of rock everywhere. The manikin runs out, looking for them. It swipes at Kuja with it's sword, and he almost gets stabbed through the chest before Yuna pushes him out of the way, surprising him.

" Get back!" Yuna says, taking her hand away from his and taking her staff in a tight grip. " I will destroy it!"

She waves her wand with confidence, her eyes glowing, as a line of light streaks across the ground towards the manikin. No more than a second later, the line begins bursting up into fast, fiery explosions, racing toward the manikin where it sends the creature into the air, yelling in it's deafeningly shrill voice. After a moment, it disappears in a flash of light.

She takes a deep breath, glad for it to be over. She never likes fighting, whether it's against manikins or Chaos's warriors.

Yuna turns to Kuja, who is staring at her so intensely it makes her cheeks flame up for some unknown reason. " I suppose we must find somewhere else to take shelter," She says.

He blinks. " Y-yes..." He says. Then he snaps out of his trance, and gives her a confused look. " Wait. Why aren't you running off to your precious friends?" He asks her. " You've already proved you can take care of yourself without my help."

She looks at him, and smiles. " Well, I suppose that's true... but I thought I would travel with you for a while, at least until I can rejoin my friends. "

" What?" He asks, dumbfounded by her. " Travel with me? Why?"

" Well... it's always better to have someone to fight by your side. And since we still have a truce, we can fight together... unless you wish to go alone," She says, her eyes searching his face. _Does he still not trust me?__ Why can't he put aside who we are?_

He seems torn, before sighing. " Fine, I suppose we can be allies... But the moment we find one of your 'friends', the truce is over, and we forget this ever happened." He walks past her.

She shrugs. " All right," She flashes her wide grin at him, but when he's passed, she goes deep into thought. _Allies, hmm? Maybe, when we travel... we can become friends. I will find out why he is so distant_, _at least. _

He turns to look at her after after a moment, and says, " What are you waiting for? We need to get moving."

"Right!" She nods and jogs after him, catching up and then walking beside him as they begin crossing the Lunar Subterrane in companionable silence.

_Maybe I'll learn who Kuja really is, _she thinks as she glances at her stoic ally. _Maybe there is someone hidden under his cold exterior. _She hardens her resolve. _He'll trust me, someday. I just have to get him to realize not everyone wants to hurt others. That I do not want to harm others._

Yuna looks ahead, to the path they walk. _One day._

* * *

__Oh, I love writing this! I love this pairing so much. I'll start working on Chapter 3 soon!


	3. Pandaemonium

**Author's Note: I can't believe I got so many views on my story. I love all the reviews I've gotten, you guys are awesome!**

**In reply to Alistar: Kuja may have been a Warrior of Chaos, but because he is in an alliance with a Warrior of Cosmos and is now seen as a traitor for saving Yuna, his authority over the Manikins has been revoked.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of Square Enix's characters, I only love to use them!  
**

* * *

Kuja

* * *

Walking through the farthest reaches of the Lunar Subterrane, is a boy and a girl. From anyone's viewpoint, it would look almost like two friends, or a couple. But what they would not realize is that the two are actually fated enemies who, because of circumstance, are traveling together as allies for a short time.

Kuja is thinking this as he walks beside a mysterious girl, his enemy and his ally, Yuna. _Strange, _he thinks. _Things have not gone as ex__pected. _

He had been incredibly shocked when he saw Yuna, this girl who looks like she wouldn't be able to fight on her own, create an attack that had killed a Manikin with one blow. He had expected her fighting skills to be lacking, that she would perhaps only clobber it over the head with her intricate staff. But she continues to surprise him. Including when she had told him she wished to travel with him.

_She is too naive. Does she not realize that I could turn on her at any second and destroy her?_

He knows, however, that he would not. Why, you may ask? Even he does not know the answer. All he knows is that he finds this girl refreshing, peculiar and interesting. She is not what she appears in the slightest. _How can someone who appears so weak, be so strong?_

He had accepted Yuna as an ally, for many reasons. One, because it would make sense to fight side by side. The Manikins could come in swarms, and even a few are hard for one person. Two, because she is a good fighter who can hold her own, as well as knowing how to tend injuries. He touches his shoulder. The ache is gone, and he stretches with the slightest of stiffness.

And then he realized he wasn't ready for them to part ways just yet.

_Could it be that I am becoming... fond, of this girl?_

He glances sideways at her. Despite having a severely injured arm and having not really rested for hours, she still has a small smile on her face at all times, always seemingly happy. So strange.

As if sensing that he is staring at her, she turns to look at him. " You look deep in thought." Yuna says. He notes that her face reddens slightly. "What has your mind so occupied? Is there something on my face?"

He quickly snaps out of his thoughts, and gives her an annoyed look to cover up the slight embarrassment of having been caught. " No, it's nothing that concerns you," Kuja says sharply.

She gives him a curious look before shrugging and looking ahead, towards the stretch of purple, dusty land that goes on far beyond the eye can see. "Okay, then." She takes a few steps forward, before flashing those green-blue eyes his way and widening her bright smile.

He finds himself again looking at her, before he can resist the temptation. If only he _understood_ her.

Shaking his head, he tears his eyes away and looks ahead. He has to stop with this. It's completely illogical. And then something catches his sight.

He squints, trying to see further away. Something sticks out, rising from the ground. A building of some sort? It's the same color of the landscape, almost blending in except for the shapes of hexagons all over the walls. As the two get closer, it takes on the shape of a dark castle, tall and menacing. An archway leading to darkness is the only visible entry.

" I... I think that's Pandaemonium." Yuna says softly, her smile dimming a bit when she spots it as well. Her eyes become slightly darker than usual.

" I think so as well. " He agrees. " I also think we should stay well away in case of-"

Kuja is interrupted when Yuna does a sudden intake of breath. Her eyes are glued to something running across the ground, towards the looming castle-like structure. A person...? He can't recognize who it is or who's side their on. _What-?_

Next thing he knows, Yuna is running after the figure, calling out to them. " Tidus!" She yells.

_Tidus? _Now he knows. A warrior of Chaos. But then, why is she trying to get his attention? " Yuna, stop!" Kuja says, sprinting after the fast girl. " What are you doing?! It's dangerous!"

She ignores him, and he watches in disbelief as she keeps going after Tidus, before disappearing into Pandaemonium's door. He pauses outside the castle, looking up at it. His instincts tell him to stay out, leave her and go while he can, separate himself and forget about the alliance. If she dies, then it's one less person to have to kill. However, a small voice in his mind tells him to go in after her.

_Why? Why should I risk my life for someone that isn't even on my side?_

He stands there, fighting within himself on what to do. But, in reality, there really is only one choice.

Steeling himself, he runs in after Yuna. The moment he does, the entry shuts, the gate coming down from above. He's sealed inside.

He looks back for a second, and then turns back to the task at hand and dashes into the dark hall.

All he hears is silence. It's eerie, and he feels the slightest of chills go through him. He slowly walks forward. A lit up room lies ahead, and he hastens towards it, not liking the quiet, deathlike quality of the dark.

When he steps out into the light, Kuja blinks. A room that branches out in different directions greets him, the same glaring purple color as outside. He steps a bit more inside the room, looking around. Never before has he been in Pandaemonium, simply because it is The Emperor's domain and he has a strong dislike for him, so he avoided it whenever he came near. Now he's glad that he did, as the aura emanating from the very walls is disturbing. Hopefully he'll find Yuna soon and get the both of them out of here.

The hairs on the back of his neck stand up suddenly, and he tenses up. _Someone is watching my every move._ He can feel their gaze on his back. Slowly, he begins counting down.

He takes a deep breath. _3..._

His hands ball up into fists, clenching and unclenching. _2..._

Kuja readies himself, looking straight ahead. _1...!_

He whips around and casts Strike Energy, and the shining orbs appear out of thin air and race towards the aqua clad person behind him. Almost effortlessly, the person escapes his attack, stepping to the side and out of harm's way.

" Not too bad for an imbecilic traitor," a deep voice says.

Standing before Kuja, his light and colorful attire looking gaudy in the purple room, is Exdeath. Because his face is concealed by the beak-like mask of his armor, the dark laughter that emanates from him seems to be formless, coming from the air. The gold of his clothes glints in the strange light.

" What are you doing here?" Kuja demands. Exdeath hates The Emperor, why can he possibly want to be here now? Unless...

" Such hostility. " Exdeath comments. " I've simply come to see for myself that you really were in an alliance with the enemy. Kefka and Cloud of Darkness have been telling everyone that you had refused to kill and then saved a Warrior of Cosmos. "

_Of course, _Kuja thinks bitterly. " And what of it? Are you here to execute me?" _Surely now that those vermin have told everyone, I am no longer in Chaos' favor. It also explains why the Manikins have been attacking me as well as Yuna. _He'd been suspicious of the reason ever since the attack back at the cave. _I have been branded a traitor._

"Hmph." The blue clothed Warrior chuckles blackly. " You do realize that you threw everything you had away on a slip of a girl on the opposing side, don't you? I do wonder, why?"

"I don't have to explain myself to you." The icy tone in Kuja's voice is sharp. " I am done with this discussion."

It almost seems like Exdeath smirks through his mask. " Since I suppose I'll get no more information, I have no use for you. Now I will send you back to the Void where you belong!"

Exdeath throws his arms into an X formation and a perfect circle of bright, crisscrossed and intricate lines of light appears in front of him, the edges glowing. Kuja barely jumps out of the way in time before the ray of yellow attacks the spot where he had been. As he rolls across the ground he casts Seraphic Star, throwing the black and blue orb at Exdeath. Exdeath blocks the attack, and gazes at Kuja a moment while behind him the orb becomes a big blue ball and then dissipates.

" It's almost as if you've become weaker." He remarks.

Kuja raises his arms and orbs almost exactly like the one he had just cast rain down on Exdeath's head. " I? I think it is you who have become less powerful."

He senses the anger radiating from Exdeath's armor as he quickly tries to get out of the way of Kuja's spell. One of the orbs hits Exdeath, however, and sends him slightly reeling. It gives Kuja enough time to jump into the air in front of Exdeath and cast Flare Star. The meteor races in front of him and explodes into five, knocking Exdeath into the middle and creating a circle, flying upwards and then all crashing down at once into him. Exdeath hits the ground with a thud, slightly cracking the purple tile, still for a moment before standing once more.

" Do you think you have finished me?' Exdeath laughs with a slight croak in his voice. Suddenly he runs at Kuja and unsheathes his sword, swinging down at him. Kuja can't block the attack and he feels the blade cut into his leather shirt. Blood spreads fast over the dark fabric of the armor, gushing from the tear. Quickly he grabs his own dagger out of the hidden pocket in his shoulder guard and fends off another slash.

For a few minutes, the two battle it out, the sound of metal clashing against metal filling the room. Both are evenly matched. But then Kuja swings and hits Exdeath's sword, then knocks it out of his hand with his fist. The blade skitters across the ground and to the far wall. Kuja then kicks Exdeath in the lower stomach, causing him to lose his breath and fall to his knees. Kuja points the tip of his dagger at Exdeath.

" This fight is over, " He says coldly.

Exdeath slowly and with cautious movements rises. He does not let on how much pain he is enduring, but Kuja can hear it in his deep breaths. " I am not finished." His big hands twitch. " I will destroy you, and scatter you to the Void. I will not... admit defeat... to the likes of you!" Indignation colors his voice.

" If you continue to fight me, then I will kill you." Kuja says. " It's useless to keep fighting, especially when you are in that condition. "

" Are you offering me mercy? How pathetic." Exdeath says, his breath raspy. " That girl has clearly rubbed off on you."

" It is not mercy, it is sense. If you want to fight me, do it when you are healed. When you have a chance." Kuja puts his dagger back in his shoulder guard and starts walking away.

" Do not walk away from me!" Exdeath shouts.

Kuja stops. " I don't have time for you. I've got other things to worry about. "

With that, he runs off into another darkened hall in search of Yuna.

* * *

**Oooooh! I had so much fun writing this chapter! Especially the short but sweet battle scene. :)**

I had a lot of prodding from my friend Alex to get it done as fast as I could, so now I can finally tell him it's done, haha. I'll start the next chapter as soon as I can! ^_^


	4. Memories

Yuna

* * *

_Tidus._

The minute she saw him, dashing across the plains of the Lunar Subterrane, she had felt that rush of familiarity as well as the slide show of images. Him, talking to an orange-haired man; both of them laughing loudly in front of their friends; sitting in front of a fading sunset together.

Then, without really thinking, she started after him. She wanted to question him, to talk to him about their lives before this. He is the only one who could know! How did she know him? Who were those people she saw in her memories? Where had they been?

She ignored Kuja's calls, his voice fading as she ran after the sprinting figure in front of her. She didn't care. She just wanted to find Tidus.

Now, as she walks through the glowing halls of Pandaemonium looking for him, she scolds herself. _I should not have ran after that person. It may not have even been Tidus. _But the deluge of memories she has is proof that it truly had been him.

She turns at the corner of the hall and keeps walking. She'd lost sight of him as soon as she'd ran inside, and even though she had raced through the manor-like structure searching for him, Yuna has yet to catch a single glimpse of him.

She thinks of Kuja. He's probably mad at her. Maybe he's even called off the alliance because of her foolishness. Most likely he left her here.

_No, _she thinks, _maybe he didn't. _What if he is out there still, waiting for her? Or perhaps in here... looking for her?

The possibility of that is absolutely none. Of course he wouldn't come in here. Why would he come in here searching for her, when the manikins are roaming about freely. She'd already ran into a few of them, battling them on her own. Kuja had been right; fighting manikins by yourself is difficult.

She slowly enters a wide room. To her left is another hall, while on her other side there is a strip of black, a dark plunge below the floor, separating the ground and making it difficult to get to the other side of the room.

Yuna stops walking. " Tidus!" She calls, her voice echoing throughout the room, but no one answers.

_I made a terrible decision in coming here,_ she chastises herself. _I never should have run like that. Besides, I don't even know what side he's on. He could be one of Chaos' allies. _The thought of him being her enemy, of having to fight him, makes her feel a deep sadness.

And then words flow through her mind in a familiar voice.

_If we ever get separated, just whistle. I'll come running, I promise. _

She knows immediately that Tidus had told her that, long ago. _Just whistle..._

Putting her fingers to her mouth, she blows on them. A shrill whistle pierces the air, and she's suddenly afraid she may have called the manikins. _Why would she do something as stupid as that?!_

When nothing happens, she chuckles a bit sadly. " I wonder if a whistle would work here. Maybe in this world, he might have really come running. " She turns around, deciding then that she'll try to leave. She should never have come here. It had only gotten her hopes up. " Wishful thinking, I guess..."

She starts to walk away when suddenly someone comes around the corner and stops in front of her. She stares and takes in the figure, her hand going up to her face, a slight gasp escaping.

In torn black shorts, blue shoes, no shirt with gloves and red ribbon going up his arm and an armguard, is Tidus. His naturally spiky blonde hair is all over the place, just like always.

" Sorry! You alright?" He asks her. She's too stunned to speak, unable to form words.

He jogs past her and then turns back. "You, uh, shouldn't hang around in here. This place is kind of dangerous. "

Despite his incredibly different appearance than what she remembers, this is definitely him. More memories play through her head. Fighting beside him, sitting in the ruins of a once beautiful place he had called home, cheering him on when he played blitzball. So many memories of what they had been through are there, in her mind. Not everything, but enough to remember he had once been her friend.

" Tidus!" She finally gets out.

" Huh?" He says, looking a bit confused. He stares at her a minute." Did we... meet somewhere before?"

She blinks, astonished, feeling disappointment welling within her. _He doesn't... remember me? _All this time she'd thought that if she remembered him, that once he saw her he, too, would remember. But from the blank expression on his face, he really doesn't know who she is. Not a single shred of recognition.

He turns away before she can answer. " Anyway. Sorry. Really gotta get going. " Tidus dashes off without another word.

She takes a few steps, her eyes trained on him as he disappears. " That's him. That's really him!" No matter if he doesn't remember her now- she'll make him remember! Determination sets in. She'll make him remember her, no matter what it takes! " Tidus, wait!" She starts to go after him, her long dress billowing out behind her as she races through the room and down the hall after him. She catches a glimpse of his shadow going up a steep ramp without walls and to the next floor, and she doesn't hesitate to follow, not caring if the manikins attack her. She just has to stop him. Maybe she could get him to talk to her. Then maybe he'd remember who she is. She has to try!

Yuna stumbles a bit going up but regains her balance and manages the steep climb. Of course, Tidus had handled the ramp much better than her, because of his athletic skills. So by the time she's at the top, he has disappeared.

She takes in her surroundings as she takes a few steps forward. The walls are gone, and all she sees is the dark, starry night sky. The ground has changed from the gaudy purple it had been, now a blue square tile. Around her are crystals, some rising from the ground and some floating, some sparkling and sharp, others in upside down triangular shapes.

In front of her, a path made of octagonal tile leads to the other side of the 'room', where a strange and empty metal throne sits in a bed of icy spikes. She looks around for any sign of Tidus but sees nothing. She wanders over to the edge of the floor and glances down. It's a long drop to the bottom. _He can't have jumped off...!_

" If you are looking for the boy, you will not find him. He is long gone."

She jumps as a voice speaks behind her. She whirls around. The throne, which had been empty before, is now being occupied by a man in yellow and purple armor. White and purple wing-like armguards adorn his shoulders, and he's wearing a purple crown, long blonde hair emerging from it. He's sitting luxuriously, twirling his black and yellow wand in his hand almost lazily, the gold jewel glinting. Standing out against the dark background, is the Emperor, smirking at her.

He sits up straighter and then stands up, eyes on her. " My my, what a tragedy this is. You finally find someone you recognize, only to find that they don't even know who you are. Forgotten by someone close to you. Tell me, do you realize what he is? "

She finally regains the ability to speak. " W-what do you mean?" She says, not quite understanding. Her heart clenches in her chest. Anger rises within her like a caged animal because of his words. _He doesn't even know what he's talking about! __He can't..._ Sadness mixes in.

" He is no longer the ally to you he once was. He is a Warrior of Chaos... your enemy. " He takes a step toward her.

" Stay back!" She says, raising her staff in front of herself defensively.

" It's useless to try to protect yourself. I can easily overpower you. " Emperor says, gripping his rod and then pointing it at her. " Make one wrong move and I will not hesitate to destroy you with a sweep of my scepter. "

Her mind races. _What to do? Should she fight? _Fighting him is risky. She'd already heard tell of his extremely powerful magical abilities. She could very well lose and die. But running doesn't seem to be an option. If she were to make a move towards the exit, he'd attack. She's been cornered.

He notices how her face pales. " Clearly you realize your decision is limited. Now, I can give you a choice; Kill Kuja and live, or die at my hand right here."

" Kill Kuja?" She asks in shock. She wasn't expecting that. " Why would you want me to... to kill one of you?"

" He is a traitor. " The Emperor spits. " He is no longer one of the Warriors of Chaos. "

She blinks. " But... But he's your friend! You-"

" Silence!" He orders. " That pathetic excuse for a Warrior is not my 'friend.' To even think such a thing is disgusting. He is but a pawn in the game that is this war. To be used and sacrificed when it is needed. A tool. "

Yuna swallows down the resentment she wants to express upon him. _To just- just use Kuja like that...! He doesn't deserve that! _She holds her staff more tightly in her hands. She knows there is some good in the distant Warrior. The fact that she's alive right now is the proof. He had saved her, when his 'allies' had wanted to murder her. Which meant that he had to have some good in him, whether he'd admit to it or not.

Therefore, there is no way she's bowing down to the Emperor! She hardens her resolve and glares his way._ Kuja... I believe you shouldn't be doomed to this. I will do my best... to help you. _

Emperor watches her warily. " So you dare to defy my wishes and die?"

" I will not kill Kuja for you! " She says defiantly. " Instead, I will fight for him!"

" You've made a very unwise decision. Now you will suffer for it, and I will enjoy every last second of your pain. " Without further preamble he suddenly races towards her. She blocks the first strike of his rod, but the second knocks her off balance. He grins at her wickedly and utters a strange laugh as he slams his hand into her chest, taking her breath away from her in a whoosh. As she stumbles back a few steps, she notices something flashing on her chest. A mine.

Too late; it explodes, throwing her into the air. She blinks, her eyes watering and her chest burning with sharp lancets of pain.

He rushes up and smashes his staff into her already sore chest, sending her reeling into the ground below. Her side hits first, and she loses grip of her staff. It skids a few feet away.

She reaches for it only to have her hand stepped on by the emperor's gold-clad boot. She looks up at him just as he leans down and grabs her face, making her eyes stay with his.

" I knew the fight would not last long. What a pity. Those eyes of yours are truly unique." He remarks, looking into them.

That was his mistake.

She reaches up and takes hold of the long hair hanging down over her face and yanks, throwing him off balance. She then pulls his foot out from under him, causing him to topple over with surprise. While he's down, she quickly scrambles to her feet and makes a dash for the staff, retrieving it and turning to face the Emperor, who looks furious.

" Die!" He shouts, and waves his rod. A huge ball of pulsating blue light appears and comes at her. She tries to evade it but it steers toward her. As it comes close, she throws her staff out and hopes for the best. Surprisingly, she deflects the attack. The orb of light changes direction, heading back at its creator.

" What? How did you block that attack?!" He says angrily. Emperor goes to reflect it back but it hits him, knocking him back. It gives Yuna a small advantage over him, and she uses Meteor Strike, Ifrit swiping at Emperor with his claw and leaving three long gashes in his armor. He falls backward, and tenderly touches the blood forming from the cuts. If he was angry before, he's absolutely livid now.

He stand so fast he's almost a blur. A bright symbol appears in front of him and begins shooting fast bolts of light at her. She dodges most of them, but one hits her in the arm, knocking her hand away from the staff. She intakes a sharp breath at the pain, but does her best to ignore it. She will not lose!

Yuna then jumps into the air and summons Bahamut, the black and red dragon-like Aeon with the spinning gold disk on its back. Spinning her gold staff in a circle above her head as fast as she can, she casts Mega Flare. A long ray of cerulean light burst forward and engulfs Emperor. She's risking a lot with this attack, as it is her strongest, but also the one that leaves her the weakest.

As the attack fades and she falls to the ground feeling exhausted, she sees the Emperor laying on the ground, unmoving. She stands straight. It's finally over. Yuna sighs with relief. Of course, her insides are twisting in knots. It wasn't a happy feeling, winning this battle. Fighting is never a happy occasion for her. She's just glad it's done and over with.

She turns and starts walking back slowly. She'll try and find Kuja. He'll probably chew her out for going off on her own. _I wonder if he worried about me._ The thought of Kuja actually _worrying_ over her is so strange she almost laughs aloud. Instead, she silently chuckles, making her chest sting. She finds herself eager to get back to him. _Maybe Kuja will help me regain Tidus's memories-_

Suddenly something sharp is thrust into her back, surprising her. She lets out a small gasp and her weapon drops out of her hand. The knife-like object is then yanked out of her, and she falls to her knees. Pain flows through her, and she feels the blood coloring her dress crimson. Yuna falls forward, onto her already sore chest.

" You should never turn your back on your opponent. " That voice that she so despises says in her ear.

Yuna is already so tired. And with the added blood loss, she feels herself slipping away. Her eyes close and she braces for the end. _This isn't how I wanted to die..._

" Yuna?!" A familiar voice shouts. Her eyes open and she sees Kuja coming up the entrance, his face concerned and angry.

" Kuja..." She says in a whisper.

And then her eyes slide shut and she black out.

* * *

Author's Note: I finally got Chapter 4 done! *Does happy dance* Can't believe it took me two weeks... Anyway, guess I better start on Chapter 5! :D Please enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own any of Square Enix's characters, worlds, etc. I just use them for fun.


	5. For The Best

Kuja.

* * *

After some time of searching Pandaemonium for Yuna, Kuja finally rests against a wall in a hall, folding his arms over his chest.

He may as well leave. He needs to stop this foolishness and move on without her. Why is he still here?

Rubbing his eyes, he takes a breath. The movement causes his chest to ache. Silently, he curses himself for not being better prepared and being without Potions. The wound has crusted over, dried blood all over the front of his armor. The battle with Exdeath has definitely taken it's toll on the fallen Warrior.

He thinks of the reason he's even in this wretched place. _Yuna. _The summoner with the easy smile, the unique eyes. The girl he is in an alliance with, despite the very different sides they're on. _Were on,_ he thinks bitterly. Now he is a traitor in the eyes of Chaos. All because he made the decision to save her instead of killing her.

He's broken from this train of thought by the sound of footsteps. Thinking of Manikins, he braces himself to attack.

But, to his surprise, instead of seeing one of the bloodthirsty creatures, a boy with spiky, dirty blonde hair races by him. Instantly, Kuja realizes this is the boy Yuna had ran after. _Tidus._

He also notices that Yuna is not with him. _Where is she?_ He reaches out and takes hold of Tidus's arm, stopping the boy in mid stride and causing him to stumble back.

A sudden flash of blue surprises Kuja, and he narrowly avoids being cut through by Tidus' aquatic sword. He lets go and ducks under the blade as Tidus swings at him.

" Stop it, you fool!" Kuja yells.

" What...?" The onslaught of slashes stops. The boy's blue eyes look at Kuja and he lowers his sword. " You're not a Manikin?"

" No, you idiot!" Kuja says angrily. " Do I look like one of those barbaric creatures?!" He stands straight again.

" Oh hey, I know you." Tidus says. " You're Kuja, right? Aren't you Kefka's partner?"

" Me? Partnered with _Kefka?!_ " The outrage is audible in his tone. " That's absurd. "

" Oh, well, I thought since he's always hanging around you..." Tidus shrugs. " Oh. Well, whatever. Anyway, I have to go. " He starts to turn, but Kuja grabs his arm before he can.

" Wait! " Kuja says. " Did you meet a girl named Yuna? Short brown hair, two different colored eyes?"

" A girl with two different colored eyes? Umm..." He thinks. " Well, I don't really know-"

Kuja slams Tidus into the wall in front of him, taking the blitzball player by surprise. " Don't play games with me, tell me the truth!"

" Whoa, hey! Yeah, I saw a girl. Kind of pretty, actually. Who is she? Isn't she one of Cosmos's warriors?" Tidus says.

" That has no relevance right now. Where is she? " Kuja snaps. His grip on Tidus's shoulder tightens, eyes flashing dangerously.

" H-hey! " the boy protests. " I-I don't know, okay? I think she tried following me, but I left her behind. "

" When did you see her?" Kuja presses.

" It could only have been twenty minutes ago! Let go of me, man!" Tidus wrenches his arm from Kuja's grasp and pushes him away. " Leave me alone. I'm out of here. " He runs off before Kuja could further question him.

Kuja begins to go after him, but a scuffle above his head makes him stop. It sounds like... people. His mind races. _Could Yuna possibly be up there?_ _On the top floor of Pandaemonium? _

He glares down the way Tidus had disappeared, then turns and searches for the entry leading up. After a few moments of fruitless search, he finally finds a ramp leading up into a night sky. Without hesitation he dashes up the ramp.

As he nears the top, he sees her. Yuna, beaten but alive, turning away from an unconscious Emperor and towards him. She looks terrible, her clothes ripped, but she's smiling softly, as if she hadn't just fought a powerful magic user. She clearly doesn't notice him, off in her own world as she comes near. He feels strangely happy to see her. _What has gotten into him?_

He then sees Emperor rise with a twisted look of malice from the ground, grabbing his rod from where it lay next to him. Kuja is about to call out for her to turn, but before he can, the Emperor pulls back his scepter and stabs the jagged point into her back.

He almost feels her agony for her as her face goes blank with shock, and then pain registers. As she drops, he finds his voice. " Yuna!"

He feels a deep, boiling emotion bubble up in him. Hate, blacker than the Void itself, shows itself as he curses and runs over to where she lay as the Emperor mercilessly takes his rod back from her unconscious and bleeding body.

" What have you done?!" Kuja demands furiously as he kneels and turns Yuna over so she's facing him. Her normal smile is gone, and her blushing face is paler than usual. All in all, with the blood slowly pooling under her, it's a worrying sight. He feels her wrist. The pulse is faint, but there, and she takes shallow breaths. _She's still alive._ Relief floods through him.

" I have done you a favor. You should be thanking me. I saved you from yourself. Now you won't have to to worry about this wretch. "

" Shut up!" Without even looking up, Kuja can already see the malicious smirk on the Emperor's face.

" Why? Will you fight me as well? " The Emperor asks him.

Gently scooping her up in his arms, Kuja stands and faces the Emperor with Yuna cradled against his chest. " When Yuna is out of harm's way, then I will destroy you without mercy."

" You are so protective of the wench. I already know she is your ally, but you make it sound as if you want something more. " The Emperor says sneeringly.

_Something more? Like what, exactly? _ He shakes off the Emperor's words. _Anyway, n__ow is not the time to think about...something as outrageous as that.  
_  
The rage has yet to subside within him, and he carefully walks over to the entrance and puts her down, leaving her where she cannot be hurt. Silently he straightens and glares at Emperor.

The Emperor has a twisted smile on his face, watching Kuja. " So you will fight me then, over this girl? "

" With every last bone in my body." Kuja says.

Looking pleased, the Emperor throws out his arms. " Well, what do you wait for? Come at me. "

Without hesitation, Kuja casts Ring Holy, the three bright rings flying at Emperor. His mind races with thought. _If I can fend him off long enough with magic spells and get close enough, I can hit him with my dagger. He has very little protection against physical attacks, magic being his strong point. _

The Emperor swings his rod and hits the rings back. " Is that the best you can do?"

Quickly Kuja dispels the rings and throws a Seraphic Star towards his opponent, all the while slowly getting closer. _Emperor is weakened from his fight with Yuna. He cannot defend himself for long. _

With a sneer Emperor dodges the floating ball of blue light, keeping a good distance. " You disappoint me. The girl was much more entertaining in her plight. " He waves his rod, and a barrier appears in front of him. Bullets of energy fly towards Kuja, and he narrowly avoids them.

Without even blinking, Emperor then thrusts his hands upward and spins his rod. A blue pulsing light emerges from it, growing brighter and brighter. He laughs maniacally. " Now I will end this battle! Prepare to die!"

A glyph of iridescent light appears beneath him, and he mutters unintelligible words. Kuja glances upward. The sky seems to darken even more, and he realizes what Emperor is doing. Using his infamous attack, Starfall, which is known to eliminate over fifty Manikins with a single blow. It will wipe both him and Yuna right off the face of the planet!

"Energy Ray!"

A long line of orange suddenly streaks across the ground towards Emperor, crossing beneath his feet.

Taken off guard, Emperor has no time to move. The line explodes, taking him up with it, breaking his concentration and stopping the spell. His scream echoes off the top floor of Pandaemonium and disappears into the night sky. When the explosions cease, Emperor is gone, not a trace of him left behind.

Turning fast, Kuja sees Yuna struggling to stand upright, using her staff for support. Her face is haggard, but when she looks at him, her normal smile appears.

" I'm... happy to see... you're alright..." She manages to say, taking a step forward towards him.

" Yuna...!" Kuja says. _She was the one who destroyed the Emperor.  
_  
She goes to take anther step, but she accidentally stumbles and falls forward. With quick reflexes, Kuja catches her just before she hits the ground.

" Thank you... for staying." Yuna murmurs into his shoulder.

He has to get her out of here. She won't make it much longer. Without thinking, he wraps his arms around her and picks her up, carrying her. He quickly jumps into the air, and glides down the side of Pandaemonium until he reaches the ground. Then he sprints away from the looming structure, Yuna pressed to his chest.

_I have to find Yuna's friends. _He thinks as he dashes through the Lunar Subterrane. _She is in too much danger when she is with me. I cannot live with her death on my shoulders. _She needs to go back to her friends, where she can be safer. Yuna will be better off when he's gone.

Soon he's out of the Lunar Subterrane's eternal night and in a sunset lit field. A small lake is to his right, while a gateway is in front of him. He stops, taking a breath and walking over to the lake for a moment.

A click behind him informs him he is not alone. He doesn't dare move, lest he provoke an unnecessary attack on himself.

" Let her go!" A voice demands from behind him. " Let her go or I'll shoot you. "

Slowly, Kuja lets Yuna down to the ground, laying her carefully on her side. Just as slowly he turns to face the man with the gun. Long black hair greets him, as do pale green eyes. Dressed in a blue jacket with a white undershirt, brown pants and work boots, and with a very large machine gun in hand, is a man who looks ready to kill him.

" Are you a Warrior of Cosmos?" Kuja asks him.

" Why should I answer? " The man asks, his gun pointed straight at Kuja's face.

" Are you one of Yuna's friends?" Kuja presses.

The man gives him a confused look. " Why do you want to know? Who are you? " Kuja can already tell this man is not a Warrior of Chaos; if he had been, he would have already killed Kuja.

" She's hurt. You need to give her medical attention. " Kuja says.

The man's face becomes even more bewildered. " What? " He takes a step closer. " Aren't... Aren't you one of _them?_ A Warrior of Chaos? Why are you asking me to help her? Aren't you gonna try to kill me?"

Kuja shakes his head. " Please. Help her. "

Slowly the man lowers his gun a bit. " You're a really weird guy. I don't understand."

" It doesn't matter. I leave her in your hands. Take care of her. " Kuja says. He glances down at her pale, unconscious face, and then takes off, jumping into the air and flying up. He hears the man below calling him, but he keeps going. As he distances himself from Yuna, he feels cold inside.

_At least Yuna is safe, _he thinks.

Right?

* * *

Author's Note: Kuja is beginning to realize that he may want more than an alliance from the young summoner! :D I'm so happy with the way this is turning out! I hope you all keep reading. Thanks for all the views I've gotten. Leave me some reviews! :)

Disclaimer: I do not own any of Square Enix's characters, worlds, etc. I just play with them. :D


	6. Kidnapping

Yuna

* * *

Darkness. All she knows, all she sees, is complete darkness.

_Hello? Kuja? Tidus? Anyone?_

She finds herself standing upright in the blackness. Her back is aching. She takes a step forward, but it's as if she didn't move. _Is anyone there? __What is this strange place? _She shouts in her mind. Her mouth is immobile, unable to create words in this perfect silence.

In front of the young summoner, the darkness swells, creating something else only slightly lighter than the Void-like area, but much more menacing. It rises much taller than she, and is clearly inhuman. Golden yellow eyes appear from thick folds of gray. It's fingers and toes are long and misshapen, as is it's limbs. A huge hole shaped as a diamond in the middle of its chest almost glows.

Fear grips Yuna's heart. What is this creature?!

The monster takes an enormous step forward and reaches for her. With a soundless scream she is yanked upward in the palm of the creature's hand. She is pulled close to its 'face', and she reluctantly gets a view of her reflection in its eyes.

Then it is gone and she is falling down into a dark abyss. As she falls face first to whatever lays at the bottom-if there is a bottom- faces fly past her. Kuja's surprise, when she told him she wished to travel with him. The Emperor's malicious smirk as she fought him on the top floor of Pandaemonium. Tidus's blank expression when she'd almost bumped into him and he did not remember her. She covers her face with her hands and prays for this to end. It's strange, she feels a shaking sensation. And her back really hurts now...

" Yuna? Hey, Yuna, wake up!"

" Hmm?" She murmurs. She's not falling anymore. The shaking is more violent than it was, though. But at least Yuna is aware of what is shaking her. Warm hands, on her side.

Blearily she opens her eyes and stares up into bright blue sky. Her head is pounding. _Where... am I? _

Suddenly a familiar face leans over her. Shoulder length black hair. Green eyes. " Hey sleepyhead. You were having nightmares. "

" Laguna...?" Yuna asks groggily. She then sits up abruptly, causing a wave of agony to wash through her. " Where is Kuja? And the Emperor? What happened? " She's sitting in an open field, with Pandaemonium nowhere in sight.

" Whoa, whoa, calm down. " Laguna says, sitting next to her. " You're going to reopen that nasty wound. "

" You should have been more careful with her. She is injured, you know. " Another voice says. Yuna turns her head to see two more people she recognizes, Tifa and Firion. It was Tifa who had spoken, her long hair flipping in a gust of wind. She is dressed in a black skort with a black zip up tank with a white undershirt beneath. Her black gloved hands are on her hips.

" Lady Yuna, how are you feeling?" Firion asks her as the two approach. " Tifa tended to your wound, so it should be healing well. She also washed and mended your clothes."

Yuna rubs her head, and nods. " I'm fine. Thank you, Tifa. " Her back, now that Laguna had ceased with the shaking, no longer ached as much as it did. Clearly, it is healing. " Someone please explain where I am and what happened. Where is Kuja?" _Did he fight the Emperor? Did the Emperor... kill him? _She bites her lip.

" Laguna found the Warrior of Chaos and you down by the lake. " Firion explains. " The Warrior- Kuja, you called him? - then left you with Laguna and left. "

" He just... left?" Yuna says with surprise.

Laguna nods. " Yeah. Weirdest thing. " He glances at her. ' How did you end up with him anyway? Did he catch you off guard or something? "

" No. " Yuna says, taking a deep breath. " He and I were in an alliance. "

A shocked silence fills the air. " Y-You were in an alliance with one of _them_? " Tifa says with astonishment, her amber eyes wide with disbelief.

" Have you lost it?" Laguna asks Yuna. " Why would you be in an alliance with one of those guys?! "

" He saved my life," She says, a bit defensively. " If not for him I wouldn't be standing here right now."

" B-but-!" Laguna tries to form sentences, baffled by this. " He could have killed you! "

Firion's brown eyes look concerned. " Laguna is right. That man wields powerful magic. I have seen it firsthand. If he had attacked you, you would be seriously injured. "

" But I am not. " Yuna protests.

All three of them glance at her bandages. Her face goes red. " I-It was not he who inflicted this. It was Emperor. "

" The Emperor?" Firion asks, his tone gone icy. " He did this to you?" His mouth is a hard line.

" Can you please start explaining what you remember? I am so lost. " Tifa says, sitting down and crossing her legs under her.

Yuna nods, and retells what happened, starting from what happened with Terra and Onion Knight while Tifa, Laguna and Firion listen in rapt fascination. When she's done, her friends are silent for some time.

" So... he actually protected you?" Tifa asks. " That's unbelievable. "

" I'll say. " Laguna remarks. " You're lucky to be alive. "

Firion gives her a worried look. " You have been through quite a lot. This is quite a turn of events. "

Yuna suddenly feels a wave of exhaustion hit her. Just thinking about everything she had been involved in makes her body ache. _Kuja_... She thinks tiredly. _I hope you're okay. _

" She looks ready to pass out. Why don't we let her sleep," Tifa suggests.

" Great idea! Hey Firion, you keep watch this time. I'm tired of sitting in one place. " Laguna remarks.

" As you wish. " Firion allows.

Yuna nods, barely able to keep her head up. " Thank you. "

" Just get better, okay?" Tifa says with a grin. " By the time you wake up, the potion should have worked to full effect. So get some sleep. See ya!" She waves and grabs Laguna's arm, dragging him off with her.

Firion sits beside Yuna. " Do not worry. I'll keep guard. "

" I appreciate that, Firion." She says, and leans back, already feeling the pull of sleep. Her eyes close, and behind her eyelids, she thinks of Kuja.

_Be safe._

* * *

She wakes up from a dreamless sleep by Firion shaking her awake. " Lady Yuna, we have to go!"

" What?" Yuna says groggily, disoriented. She sits up and glances up. It's become dark, the sky black. Not a single star visible. " Firion? What is it?" In the distance she can hear a strange rattling and clash of metal. She looks up at his worried face, and becomes concerned.

" We have been attacked. Tifa and Laguna are holding off the Manikins. I have to get you away from here," He says, helping her to her feet.

As she stands, her back aches slightly, barely registering any pain. The potion must have worked. " Manikins? "

" Yes. There are more of them than we can take on. " Firion says, his hand on her shoulder, his brown eyes flashing.

" Are you sure? I think I am able to fight. " She stands straight, no longer feeling shaky. " We should go help Laguna and Tifa!"

"You will need help yourself, when I am through with you. " A cold, fear-inducing voice says behind her.

Both Firion and Yuna turn at the same time. The Emperor, looking healthy, casually stands with his rod in hand, his eyes on Yuna. She can see the pure fury and hatred toward her in his gaze. On either side of him is a Manikin, one an indigo copy of their friend Zidane with his daggers raised, the other a light blue man with spiky hair and a very large sword.

" Yuna! Run!" Firion tells her urgently.

Before she can reply, Tifa and Laguna appear, being chased by six or seven manikins, all people Yuna recognizes. " Guys!" Tifa yells. The two catch up and are back to back with Firion and Yuna.

The Emperor laughs. " You are outnumbered. " He throws out a hand to make the Manikins pause in their assault.

" Why are you doing this?!" Yuna shouts angrily.

His eyes narrow to slits. " Why? Revenge, wench. You will pay for ever crossing me. "

" Then let it be I that is harmed, not my friends!" She says with determination.

The evil monarch smirks. " That wouldn't be half as amusing. No... Destroying your friends is a bonus. " Then he snaps his fingers.

Every Manikin jumps forth. Firion is attacked by the blue spiky haired Manikin, barely blocking the blow of the giant sword and fending off another attack from a different creature. Tifa roundhouse kicks a Lightning Manikin and is put in a chokehold by a Kain Manikin, fighting for breath. Laguna destroys two of the ferocious creatures but is leaped upon by the Zidane manikin. Yuna smashes her staff into the face of a Garland Manikin, barely avoiding getting slashed by a Squall copy.

Suddenly The Emperor himself replaces the Garland Manikin, swinging his rod down at her. She holds the staff tightly in her hands and feels the vibration of the attack as metal meets metal.

" You cannot win." The Emperor says. He pushes the rod towards her, making her back up a step, holding her staff up stiffly. " I will get my revenge. And in the process, I'll take out Kuja as well. "

" What?!" She says with shock.

" You heard what I said. I'll destroy that half-witted traitor. And I'll use you to do just that. " With that, he makes a sudden move and yanks his staff up under hers, knocking her staff out of her hands. It falls to the ground, where the Emperor picks it up and hold it in the same hand as his own.

" Give that back!" Yuna demands.

" Or not. " He turns both staves and jabs the pointed edge of it towards her.

Firion, destroying one of the Manikins and throwing another away, dashes towards her and protects her from the edge, knocking the point away from her. " Yuna!"

He poises himself in front of her defensively. " Do not hurt her, Emperor. The battle should be between us. "

" Our battle is yet to come. Right now, I have plans to set in motion. Get out of my way!" The Emperor says with anger. He then swipes his rod down, smashing it into the side of Firion's head, the jagged point running across the side.

" No!" Yuna says, reaching out to her friend as Firion stumbles to the side, holding his hand to his head. A bit of blood shows through his fingers. "Firion!"

Suddenly a muscular, yellow and purple clad arm wraps around her waist. Her head whips around and she stares up into the Emperor's malicious face.

She then finds herself feeling weightless as she is picked up off the ground by him. She fights him, but he presses her to his side tightly, firm.

" Yuna!" Firion yells from below as he shrinks from sight.

" Let me go!" She says angrily.

The Emperor glides smoothly away from the battling Warriors and glances down at her. " You will make excellent bait. But for now I don't need your grating voice. " Then suddenly he murmurs something. Immediately her eyelids droop.

" What have you... done...?" She barely manages to say as she's dragged into unconsciousness.

" It doesn't matter. Soon enough, I'll get what I want. Sleep, you pathetic woman. " He says in a quiet voice, as if lulling her.

Against her will, she falls into an unnatural blackness.

* * *

Author's Note: I so enjoy writing this! I'm sorry if my updates take some time, I'm juggling homework, chores, etc. while these are in progress. I hope you enjoy, and keep reading my story. :) Thanks for all the view!

Disclaimer: I do not own Square Enix, Final Fantasy, Dissidia, or anything like that. I just love to use them.


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